Etymology & Historical Origin of the Baby Name Campbell

Campbell is the transferred use of a Scottish surname originating from the Gaelic nickname “cam beul” which means “crooked mouth”. The Clan Campbell family was among the most prominent and powerful in the Scottish Highlands during the Middle Ages. An early descendent of the clan most likely had a mouth that sloped to one side which is how the nickname morphed into the clan name. Clan Campbell is notable for their allegiance to King Robert the Bruce of Scotland and fighting for Scottish independence against the English throne. They were rewarded with generous land grants and royal marriages in exchange for their loyalty and bravery. Clan Campbell lands and descendents are situated in Argyll (western Scotland) and the clan chief is the Duke or Argyll. One of the largest towns in Argyll is called Campbeltown where a fair amount of Scottish whiskey has been produced. This distinctly Scottish given name is popular for little boys in Australia and New Zealand, but in the United States, parents prefer Campbell for females over males.

All About the Baby Name – Campbell

Personality

OF THE GIRL NAME CAMPBELL

The number one personality is a leader - strong and competitive. They are willing to initiate action and take risks. One personalities work hard toward their endeavors and have the ability to apply their creative and innovative thinking skills with strong determination. They believe in their ability to succeed and are too stubborn to be hindered by obstacles. Ones meet obstacles head-on with such mental vigor and energy that you better step aside. They resent taking orders, so don't try telling them what to do either. This is an intensely active personality, but they are also known as starters rather than finishers. They have a propensity to become bored and will move quickly to the next project if not properly challenged.  They are the ones to think up and put into action new and brilliant ideas, but they are not the ones to stick around and manage them. This personality has an enthusiastic and pioneering spirit. They are distinctly original.

Popularity

OF THE GIRL NAME CAMPBELL

As a given name, Campbell has a history of usage for boys in America way before girls, although today it is almost exclusively female. Even for girls, though, Campbell is hardly popular. In fact, it’s pretty rare. The name has only been on the charts for girls since 2003 and has chilled at low levels of popularity. Many people think of the soup when they hear the name Campbell; that association is probably turning some parents off which is why Campbell hasn’t fared as well as other surnames-turned-first-names. Still, when we think of soup, we think of something warm and comforting so the connection isn’t exactly a negative one. We also think the name’s etymology (i.e., “crooked mouth”) is both sweet and endearing. It reminds us of Cameron (which means “crooked nose” in Gaelic). Campbell doesn’t have a distinctly masculine or feminine sound to it so the androgynous quality affords it universal appeal for either sex. It can be shortened to Cam for boys and Cammie or Bell for girls. Campbell is a much underused name yet it’s familiar and full of Scottish heritage. And some might argue that a “crooked mouth” is nothing more than a smile.

Quick Facts

ON CAMPBELL

GENDER:

Girl

ORIGIN:

Scottish

NUMBER OF SYLLABLES:

2

RANKING POPULARITY:

914

PRONUNCIATION:

KAM-bəl

SIMPLE MEANING:

Crooked mouth

Characteristics

OF CAMPBELL

Independent

Individualistic

Ambitious

Strong-willed

Inventive

Successful

Cultural References to the Baby Name – Campbell

Literary Characters

OF THE BABY NAME CAMPBELL

We cannot find any significant literary characters by the name of Campbell

Childrens Books

ON THE BABY NAME CAMPBELL

We cannot find any childrens books with the first name Campbell


Popular Songs

ON CAMPBELL

We cannot find any popular or well-known songs with the name of Campbell


Famous People

NAMED CAMPBELL

Campbell Scott (actor)
Campbell Brown (female journalist)

Children of Famous People

NAMED CAMPBELL

We cannot find any children of famous people with the first name Campbell

Historic Figures

WITH THE NAME CAMPBELL

We cannot find any historically significant people with the first name Campbell